1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices and arrangements for securing a ligament, or the like, to a bone surface during a ligament repair or replacement surgical procedure.
2. Prior Art
The present inventors are inventors of an earlier invention entitled, Channel Ligament Clamp and System, U. S. Pat. No. 4,960,420, that shows an earlier channel ligament clamp. Which earlier clamp employs spikes as channel sides with a web extending therebetween wherefrom spaced parallel pins extend at right or normal angles and are parallel to which spikes. The improved clamp of the present invention employs continuous short side walls rather than spikes as channel sides. With the clamp installed, the short side walls of the clamp of the invention, contacts the bone surface to contain a ligament without crushing it. The improved clamp is installed by driving the parallel pins through a ligament and into holes prepared in a bone surface and turning a screw through a web hole and into which bone surface.
Prior to channel ligament clamp type systems, staple arrangements were commonly employed in ligament repair and replacement surgical procedures for attaching a ligament to a bone surface. Examples of such staple devices for medical applications are shown in patents to Hall, U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,524; to Johnson, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,022; to Griggs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,903; to Borzone, U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,091; to Kurland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,833; to Shapiro, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,967; to Pratt, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,769; and to Wevers, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,006. All of which staple devices provide for fitting the staple like device across the ligament to secure the ligament between the staple legs by driving it into the bone surface. None of which devices, however are like the clamp of the present invention. Additionally, while a number of staple and staple like devices common to wood working are available, none are structurally or functionally like the device of the present invention. Examples of such wood working devices are shown in early patents to Tileston, U.S. Pat. No. 82,181; to Southwick, U.S. Pat. No. 431,175; to Yost, U.S. Pat. No. 758,881; to Hartley, U.S. Pat. No. 1,425,199; to Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,598,026; to Dyer, U.S. Pat. No. 1,638,477; to Le Page, U.S. Pat. No. 1,948,462; to Putnam, U.S Pat. No. 2,134,765; to Soderberg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,603; and in a later patent to Lambuth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,604.
Some examples of other devices for connecting ligament ends to a bone surface or within a bone are shown in a patent to Hunt, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,928 and in patents that the present inventors are inventors of, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,632,100 and 4,738,255. Also patents to Vives, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,234 and to Paulos, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,351, show, respectively, pin and disk couplings for ligament mounting to a bone mass, and devices for mounting a ligament to a bone surface are shown in patents to Jurgutis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,346 and to Frey, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,335 that show multi-pin staple arrangements. None of which connector and staple configurations, however, involve a channel structure with the short ligament containing side walls like the ligament mounting device of the present invention.